Exploring Mormon Thought: Recent Episodes
Exploring Mormon Thought
Exploring Mormon Thought is a weekly podcast that features discussions about Mormon Doctrine and Theology that correlate with topics in the books series of the same name written by scholar and theologian Blake Ostler
Interview with Blake Ostler about Vol. 4 of Exploring Mormon Thought AVAILABLE NOW—Exploring Mormon Thought, Vol 4: God's Plan to Heal Evil Now available for order from Greg Kofford Books: https://gregkofford.com/products/emt4
I am pleased to welcome back Thomas Jay Oord to the podcast. His new book 'Questions & Answers for God Can't' answers many questions that naturally follow from the ideas he presented in his previous work 'God Can't'
In his best-selling book, God Can't: How to Believe in God and Love After Tragedy, Abuse, and Other Evils, Thomas Jay Oord solves the problem of suffering. Oord offers five aspects of a real answer to why a loving God doesn't prevent pointless pain. The most helpful: God can't stop evil singlehandedly.
In this follow-up, Oord answers questions God Can't readers asked about his ground-breaking proposals. The answers are in this book, and they solve age-old conundrums.
https://www.amazon.com/Questions-Answers-Cant-Thomas-Oord-ebook/dp/B087CBY4NW/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Previous episodes on this topic:
http://www.exploringmormonthought.com/2019/01/069-god-cant-thomas-jay-oord.html
http://www.exploringmormonthought.com/2019/03/ep74-conspiring-prayer-with-mark-karris.html
Show Notes:
http://www.exploringmormonthought.com/2020/08/ep97-questions-answers-for-god-cant.html
Links:
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02536/full
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmTFdCYALgY
http://mormonpuzzlepieces.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-mind-body-problem-consciousness-and.html
https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/benefit-of-mormon-solution-to-the-mind-body-problem-over-the-concept-of-dualism-epiphenomenology-behaviorism-and-identity/
Did Joseph Smith teach spirit birth?
He says no:
http://signaturebookslibrary.org/line-upon-line-11/
He says yes (well, he really says 'maybe'): Go down to the article ‘A CONTINUATION OF THE SEEDS”: JOSEPH SMITH AND SPIRIT BIRTH Brian C. Hales* https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1071&context=mormonhistory
The Idea of Pre-existence in the Development of Mormon Thought: (audio and a link to the paper): http://www.exploringmormonthought.com/2018/11/the-idea-of-pre-existence-in.html
Ep91-Sacramental Re-member-ing as At-one-ment-Fire on the Horizon-Ch 17 by Exploring Mormon Thought
090-The Atonement Heals the Broken Heart-Fire on the Horizon-Ch 16 by Exploring Mormon Thought
089-The Poison of Sin and Atonement-Fire on the Horizon-Ch 15 by Exploring Mormon Thought
087-Original Sin and the Human Condition-Fire on the Horizon-Ch 13 by Exploring Mormon Thought
086-The Nature of Being in the World-Fire on the Horizon-Ch 12 by Exploring Mormon Thought
084-The Fruit of Our Mortal Lives-Fire on the Horizon-Ch 10 by Exploring Mormon Thought
081-Human Sacrifice, Plural Marriage and the I-Thou Relation-Fire on the Horizon-Ch 7 by Exploring Mormon Thought
080-Zion as the Sacred Society Reflecting Divine Love-Fire on the Horizon-Ch 6 by Exploring Mormon Thought
Ep79-The Peer Relationship as Christology-Fire on the Horizon-Ch 5 by Exploring Mormon Thought
077-The Language of Ritual Viewed From Within-Fire on the Horizon-Ch 3 by Exploring Mormon Thought
076-An Ethic of Religious Discourse-Fire on the Horizon-Ch 2 by Exploring Mormon Thought
In this short volume, Blake Ostler departs from the more analytically rigorous approach that defined his groundbreaking Exploring Mormon Thought series and instead offers a meditation and reflection on the deeper and more important aspects of Mormon theology.
Ostler explores two of the most important and central aspects of Mormon theology and practice: the Atonement and the temple endowment. Utilizing observations from Søren Kierkegaard, Martin Buber, and others, Ostler offers further insights on what it means to become alienated from God and to once again have at-one-ment with Him.
Conspiring Prayer with Mark Karris:
Divine Echoes: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078WFV3NT/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
Conspiring prayer website: http://conspiringprayer.com/
Marks website: http://markgregorykarris.com/
Topics Discussed: • Self Deception and the Corruption of Human Intellect • The Relation of Experience and Interpretation to Spiritual Knowledge • The Objection from Conflicting Religious Experiences • The Relativity of Degrees of Light Theory of Religious Diversity • The Argument from Arrogance
Topics Discussed: 1. How Are We Aware of Noumenal Experience? 2. How Could Post-conceptual Language Expressed in a Publicly Available Dialogue Be Known to be True Subjectively? 3. Kierkegaardian Subjectivity. 4. Interpersonal Encounter with a Thou that Precedes and Exceeds Me: A Levinasian Addendum to Buber.
http://www.exploringmormonthought.com/2019/02/ep72-knowledge-is-being-pt-2-vol-5.html
Topics Discussed:
A. The Veridicality Objection. 1. The Certainty of Knowledge. 2. The Kantian Assumption. 3. The Dis-appearance of the Noumenal/Phenomenal Distinction in Mormon Epistemic Experiences.
Topics Discussed:
• Epistemology of Religious Experience
• The Distinctive Mormon Epistemic Practices
• Faith, Evidence and Reason
Purchase the books: God Can't: https://www.amazon.com/God-Cant-Believe-after-Tragedy-ebook/dp/B07MP93F1W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1547100495&sr=8-1&keywords=god+can%27t+oord
The Uncontrolling Love of God: https://www.amazon.com/Uncontrolling-Love-God-Relational-Providence-ebook/dp/B01959VKI2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1547100540&sr=8-1&keywords=the+uncontrolling+love+of+god
Show Notes: http://www.exploringmormonthought.com/2019/01/069-god-cant-thomas-jay-oord.html
We discuss how Jesus' life and atonement help solve the problem of evil.
https://publications.mi.byu.edu/fullscreen/?pub=1122&index=11
Topics Discussed: • Can Radical Evils Benefit the Victims as an Essential Feature of God’s Plan of Atonement? • Is It Justifiable to Permit Consent to Personality-Destroying Evils? • Are Radical Evils Essential to the Plan of Atonement?
Refer to the outline here...specifically #9 for this episode: http://www.exploringmormonthought.com/2018/10/ep65-plan-of-atonement-theodicy-pt-2.html
My father has been out of town for two weeks and we ran out of buffer episodes so for this week I thought I would perform a reading of the King Follett Discourse. This discourse is very important to LDS Doctrine and is referred to a lot on this podcast so I thought it was relevant.
http://mldb.byu.edu/follett.htm
https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/site/accounts-of-the-king-follett-sermon
Topics Discussed: • Plan of Atonement Theodicy Outline
http://www.exploringmormonthought.com/2018/10/ep65-plan-of-atonement-theodicy-pt-2.html
Topics Discussed: • The Nature of God's Providence • The Nature of Intelligences • The Ontological Status of Natural Laws • God's Power • God's Providential Knowledge • The Nature of the Challenge of Learning to Love
Topics Discussed: • Precedents in Mormon Thought for a Process Theodicy • Basic Commitments of A Mormon Process Theodicy • Criticisms of Process Theodicy
Topics Discussed: • God’s Relation to Natural Regularities in the Tradition. • Prospects of a Natural Law Theodicy in the Tradition of Ex Nihilo Creation. • Mormon Finitism/Transhumanism
Topics Discussed: • Gods Options and the Free Will Defense • The Less Evil Options Argument from Evil
Topics Discussed: • The Problem of Evil: The Argument • Human Cognitive Limitations • The Problem of Moral Quietude for Skeptical Theism • The Problem of Moral Quietude and Meticulous Providence • The No Minimum Evil Defense
Show Notes: http://www.exploringmormonthought.com/2018/09/ep60-what-we-learn-from-problem-of-evil.html
Topics Discussed: • Partaking of the Divine Nature: 2 Peter 1:4 • Ye Are Gods: Psalm 82/John 10:34–36 • Divine Sons Who Are like Christ: 1 John 3:1–3 • One Just as Father and Son Are One: John 17
http://www.exploringmormonthought.com/2018/09/ep59-scriptural-basis-for-doctrine-of.html
Topics Discussed: Arguments That Essential Divine Properties Cannot Be Shared with Humans - Can a Fulness of Divine Power Be Shared? - Can Divine Sovereignty Be Shared By Humans? - Are Deified Humans Worthy of Divine Worship?
Show Notes: http://www.exploringmormonthought.com/2018/09/ep57-we-shall-be-as-he-is-mormon.html
Topics Discussed: • What Is the Divine Nature in Which We Share? • The Logic of Deification: The Exchange Formula • Deification and Justification by Faith Alone • Failure of the Distinction between Communicable and Incommunicable Properties • Monotheism, Simplicity, and Deification
Show Notes: http://www.exploringmormonthought.com/2018/08/topics-discussed-is-divine-nature-in.html
Topics Discussed: • The Problem of the Godhead and Monotheism • Divine Embodiment and Monotheism • The Problem of Diminished Divinity • The Competing Omnipotents Problem • The Problem of Divine Deception
Topics Discussed: • The Divine Kind • Indwelling Love • The Ontological Nature of Personal Existence • The Scriptural Argument for Yahweh’s Kind Uniqueness
http://www.exploringmormonthought.com/2018/07/ep54-godhead-in-mormon-thought-pt-2-of.html
Topics Discussed: • Mormon Social Trinitarianism • The Logical Problem of the Trinity and Mormon Thought
http://www.exploringmormonthought.com/2018/07/ep53-godhead-in-mormon-thought-pt-1-of.html
Topics Discussed: • Richard Swinburne’s Theory of Social Trinitarianism • Trinity Monotheism • Perichoretic Monotheism • Reveling in Mystery
Topics Discussed: • The Creedal Formulation and Its Problems • Latin Trinitarianism • Distinct Persons in the “Unique Identity” of God?
Topics Discussed: • The Logos in Philo and the Gospel of John • The Logos Made Flesh and the Manifestation of God’s Glory • Jesus as God’s Agent in the Writings of John • Divine Agency and Angelic Mediation in the Book of Revelation • Jesus’s Relation to the Father
Topics Discussed: • Acts 2:30–36: Christ as Lord at God’s Right Hand • Acts 7:51–60: Christ as Lord and Son of Man • Philippians 2:1–15: Christ Exalted as Lord by God • 1 Corinthians 15:24–28: Christ as God’s Vizier and General • 1 Corinthians 8:4–6: One God and One Lord • Christ as God’s Agent in Creation
Topics Discussed: • The Hierarchy of Holiness in the Heavenly Temple • Strict Monotheism in Second Temple Judaism: An Assessment of the Argument
Topics Discussed: • Jewish Views of the Hierarchy of Divine Beings • The Council of Gods in the Dead Sea Scrolls • Divine Beings in Second Temple Judaism
Topics Discussed: • Of God(s) in Israel • Elyon and Yahweh in Deuteronomy • God(s) Prior to the Creation of the Heavens and Earth • Psalm 82 and the Council of God(s) • The Denial of Comparability to Other Gods • Creational Monotheism and God(s)
Mark Heiser's "God's of the Bible:" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cS50l31lyI
Topics Discussed: • Creation by Organization of Matter • The Council of Gods • The Supreme or Head God • One God Among the Gods Appointed as Ours • Premortal Humans in the Council of the Gods • Elohim and Jehovah in Mormon Thought
http://www.exploringmormonthought.com/2018/04/topics-discussed-creation-by.html
Topics Discussed: • The Scriptural Argument • The King Follett Discourse • The Sermon in the Grove • Why Would a Divine Person Become Mortal?
Links:
King Follett Discourse:
http://www.boap.org/LDS/Parallel/1844/7Apr44-copy.html
Sermon in the Grove:
http://www.boap.org/LDS/Parallel/1844/16Jun44.html
New Cool Thang: Did God "Come to be God' or not?
http://www.newcoolthang.com/index.php/2006/05/did-god-come-to-be-god/251/
New Cool Thang: Yes, God the Father has a Father
http://www.newcoolthang.com/index.php/2006/05/the-father-has-a-father/253/
Juvenile Instructor: "Infinite Regress" or "Monarchical Monotheism"?
http://juvenileinstructor.org/%E2%80%9Cinfinite-regress%E2%80%9D-or-%E2%80%9Cmonarchical-monotheism%E2%80%9D/
Topics Discussed: • The Incompatibility of Free Will and Creatio Ex Nihilo • The First Argument: The Incompatibility of Divine Sustenance and Free Will • The Second Argument: The Impossibility of God’s Actualizing Agents with Free Will
Show Notes: http://www.exploringmormonthought.com/2018/03/ep43-operations-of-grace-free-will-pt-2.html
Topics Discussed: • Grace and Free Will in Interpersonal Relations • Free Will and Irresistible Grace • Concurring Grace
Topics Discussed: • The Problem of Imputed Righteousness • The Problem of Infused Righteousness • The Problem of Predestination • Does God Owe Obligations? • Universal Love and Obligations
Topics Discussed: • The New Perspective on Paul • James as a Critique of Self-Deceived Paulinism • Mormonism and the New Perspective on Paul
We talk about the New Perspective on Paul and what his culture was like to help put his ideas on grace back into context.
Topics Discussed: • Moral Obligation and Honor and Shame • Paul’s Doctrine of Justification as God’s Honoring Covenant
Part 2 of my reading of my father's paper 'Atonement In Mormon Thought' http://blakeostler.com/docs/AtonementInMormonThought.pdf
• Green’s Critique of the Compassion Theory.
Green's paper: http://libojs2.uncg.edu/index.php/element/article/view/32/36
Part 1 of my reading of my father's paper 'Atonement In Mormon Thought' http://blakeostler.com/docs/AtonementInMormonThought.pdf
• Desiderata for a Theory of Atonement • Mormon Theories of Atonement • A Brief Summary of the Compassion Theory of Atonement
We examine different theories of atonement and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each. We concentrate on the Penal Substitution theory as that is closest to what most Mormons have been taught. We go over five problems with that theory that make it untenable.
Topics Discussed: • Theories of Atonement • The Ransom Theory • The Satisfaction Theory • The Moral Influence Theory • The Governmental Theory • The Penal Substitution Theory • 5 objections to the Penal Substitution Theory
We discuss my fathers Atonement Theory "The Compassion Theory of Atonement" and what its basic tenants are.
Topics: • God’s Compassion in Atonement • Reconciling Humans to God • Reconciling God to Humans • Christ’s Suffering as a Result of Our Sins
Part three of Ch 5. We discuss: • Prevenient Grace in LDS Scripture • The Grace of Life and Light • Ritual Expression of Atonement • Transferring the Pain of our Sins to Christ
My father's voice is shot due to a cold so I wanted to share a talk I prepared a while back about Grace and Works in LDS thought. This talk is based closely on talks by Elder Uchtdorf and Brad Wilcox
Topics Discussed: • Ego Maintenance, Self-Deception, and Authenticity • The Bondage of Sin and Agency
Topics Discussed: • LDS Light on Original Sin • Epistemological Assumptions of Moral Obligation
Topics Discussed: • The Traditional Paradigms of Original Sin • Can We Be Guilty For the Acts of Another?
We discuss different ethical theories and evaluate if they fit with the LDS commitments and doctrine. We layout the positive and negative aspect of each theory and come up with a theory of ethics that is scriptural and consistent with the LDS world view and revelations.
Topics Discussed: • The Possibilities of Ethics in LDS Thought • An LDS Teleological Ethic? • The Human Rights Objection • The Distributive-Justice Objection • The Genuine Friendship Objection • A Duty-Based LDS Ethic? • The Overbroad Rule Argument • The Underinclusive Value Argument • An LDS Agape Theory of Ethics in Alignment with the Gospel of Christ
In his contribution to The New Mormon Challenge, Francis Beckwith argues that the LDS view of God(s) cannot explain the existence of objective moral obligation and that the “classical” view which he purports to defend can.
https://www.amazon.com/New-Mormon-Challenge-Francis-Beckwith/dp/0310231949
Topics Discussed: • Beckwith's Argument • Why Beckwith’s Argument Necessarily Unsound • Are Moral Laws Logically Dependent On God’s Nature? • Is God a Morally Perfect Being? • Beckwith’s Equivocation in His Use of “God”
We discuss the problems with praying to a God who has All-Controlling power. We ask whether manipulation can ever be conducive to an authentic loving relationship. We overview the strengths of the Open Theism movement for relating to God through prayer. Finally, we discuss a Mormon view on the problem of prayer and what options are available and what unique solutions the LDS view of God can provide to this issue.
Topics Discussed: • Prayer to an All-Controlling God • Manipulative Love? • Divine Openness and Petitionary Prayer • Mormonism and the Problem of Prayer
We discuss the problem of prayer. I may speak to God, but how could I impart any information that He doesn’t already know? I may ask God, but how could I ask for anything that he isn’t already dedicated to offering for my greatest good? I may seek God, but how could I ever suppose that he hasn’t already sought me?
Topics Discussed: • The Problem of Prayer • A Relational Solution
We start the 2nd volume, The Problems of Theism & The Love of God! We do an overview of the book and then dive into the first chapter. If we take 'God is Love' seriously what does that tell us about our relationship with God and others? Is God's love unconditional?
Topics Discussed: • Mormonism and God's Love • The Logic of Love • The I-Thou Relation • Unconditional Love and Fellowship
Links: Elder Nelson Article- https://www.lds.org/ensign/2003/02/divine-love?lang=eng
The Book of Mormon has both obvious 19th century influences and anachronisms as well as very strong evidence for having ancient origins. The Expansion theory, introduced in an article by my father in 1987, looks at all the evidence and tries to come up with a solution that preserves both. I wanted to find out the nuances of the view and see if it still held up. Enjoy!
Links: Original Article: https://www.dialoguejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/sbi/articles/Dialogue_V20N01_68.pdf
Update: http://www.timesandseasons.org/harchive/2005/04/updating-the-expansion-theory/
Response to Criticism: blakeostler.com/docs/criticexpansionth.pdf
Back when the book was released in 2001 there was a Sunstone "Author Meets Critics" session for this book. The speakers took most of the time leaving my dad only a few minutes to reply to the critiques offered. Well obviously that isn't enough time so I thought we could go more in depth on answers to issues brought up as well as in some other sessions that are about the topics in the book.
Links: God's Ultimacy: http://sunstonemagazine.com/audio/SL00375.mp3
Author Meets Critics: http://sunstonemagazine.com/audio/SL01231.mp3
God's Relation to the Universe: http://www.newcoolthang.com/index.php/2010/01/god-and-the-universe-before-after-or-with/1853/
Topics Discussed:
• God's Ultimacy • God's Power • God Knowing All Possibilities • God and Time
This is the last episode covering Vol 1: The Attributes of God. Last week we laid out the unique Mormon commitments of a Christology and this week we see if it can hold up to scrutiny. We discuss how the Mormon view dissolves many of the issues in conventional Christology, but has its own set of challenges. Enjoy!
Topics Discussed: • God's Necessary Existence • The Necessity of Condescension and Kenosis • Are Divinity and Humanity Compossible in Christ? • Time Indexed Properties of Divinity • Was Jesus Truly Human • The Problems of Identity • Was It Possible for Jesus to Sin? • Could Yahweh Be God If He Could Learn from Suffering?
Purchase the book here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0077YUTJE/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
This weeks episode goes over the unique Mormon aspects of Christology. We lay the ground work for solving the conventional problems of Christology by examining the nature of the relationship between God the Father and Christ. Topics Discussed: • Distinctive Doctrines of Mormon Scripture • A Modified Kenotic Theory of Christology
This weeks episode explores what it means that Christ is both man and God. We talk about the different views on this and some of the problems that arise with conflicts with actual New Testament writing and logical issues. We talk about various traditional attempts to solve these problems and discuss their strengths and shortcomings.
Topics Discussed: • The Historical Problem • The Logical Problem • The Christological Controversy * Traditional Responses • The Kenotic Theory • The Grace Theory
The scriptures state that God does not change. We examine what some possible interpretations of this are. There is one extreme of Classical Theism where God cannot change at all and therefore can't really be affected by prayer or humanity. We discuss the option that perhaps this refers to God's Character and his resoluteness to fulfill his promises. We then turn to God and his ability to be affected emotionally. Can God suffer? Well Jesus did and we examine the implications of that and much more. Enjoy!
Topics Discussed: • Defining Changelessness • Immutability in Nature • Immutability in Will • Immutability and Mutability in God’s Knowledge • Divine Passibility in Feeling 1. The Argument of Divine Love 2. The Argument from Immanent Omniscience 3. The Argument from Worshipworthiness
We discuss various ideas on what time is what it means, starting with Aristotle's thought. We then turn our attention to physics and how time is relative depending on one's inertial frame of reference. We summarize the implications of the concept of time from the general and special theories of relativity. We then turn to what it could mean for God to be timeless and problems with that. We then discuss possible issues of God having a body and if God can still be immediately immanent to all existence and implications from the Contingent Omniscience that we discussed last week.
Topics Discussed: • Everlasting Time • Measured Time • The Theory of Relational Time • Temporality • The Theory of Absolute Time • Simultaneity • Relative Space-Time • Defining Timeless Eternity • Implications of Divine Timelessness • Problems with Divine Timelessness • Reasons to Adopt Divine Timelessness • God’s Omnitemporality
This is it folks! The moment you've been waiting for. For the last while we have been talking about how infallible foreknowledge and free will are not compatible. Well, you ask, then what does God know? We discuss how if the future doesn't yet exist then it cannot be known. We talk about the view that God knows all possibilities and the related probabilities of future events, but not which events will become actual. We discuss various objections to this view and if this is a God still worthy of worship. We then discuss the implication of this view as far as 'God's Plan' for individuals. Enjoy!
Topics Discussed: • Is Contingent Omniscience Consistent with Scripture? • Is Contingent Omniscience Compatible with a Spatio-Temporally Limited God? • Does Contingent Knowledge Entail Imperfection? • Must God Know Future Contingent Propositions?
http://www.exploringmormonthought.com/2017/07/ep16-attributes-of-god-ch-10-gods.html
We talk about arguments that try to attack God's past knowledge/beliefs as fixed. We talk about the idea that a timeless God is exempt from past necessity, and even go over universal possibilism and the multiverse theory.
Topics Discussed: • Distinguishing Logical and Theological Fatalism • Argument D • Hard Facts As Intrinsic Properties of Past Events • Does The Doctrine of Timelessness Resolve the Incompatibility? • Multiple Past Compatibilists
We discuss different attempts by various philosophers/theologian who try to deny that God's knowing something about a future event in the past entails that God's knowledge can't be changed and therefore destroys Libertarian free will.
Topics Discussed: •Molina's Response • Power Entailment • Criticisms of Power Entailment Principles • Power to Bring About the Past
Part two of our discussion of the Mormon concept of free agency and foreknowledge. We look at different views of free will and what it means to have the ability to 'choose otherwise.' We give several variations of a hypothetical situation and ask if one would still be truly free given the scenario. We then discuss how free agency is the crux of Mormonism and a truly beautiful opportunity to create ourselves with God.
Topics Discussed: • Objections to Power to Do Otherwise • Semi-Compatibilism • Intervention after an Effective Interaction Is Formed • Intervention before an Effective Intention Is Formed • Is Intervention Possible before an Intention Is Effective? • Is Causal Determinism Essential to Free Acts? • A Mormon Concept of Free Agency
Topics Discussed: • Hypothetical Free Will • Libertarian Free Agency
http://www.exploringmormonthought.com/
We discuss arguments for infallible foreknowledge being compatible or incompatible with libertarian free will. We come up with a logical argument for the incompatibility of free will and infallible foreknowledge and discuss the assumptions of each premise.
Topics Discussed: • An unsound Argument for Incompatibility • Argument A • A Sound Argument for Incompatibilism from the Necessity of the Past • Argument B • Some Clearly Unsuccessful Attempts to Escape Incompatibility
https://www.facebook.com/ExploringMormonThought
http://www.exploringmormonthought.com/
In this episode we go over the second part of Ch 5: Models of Divine Knowledge. We talk about Middle Knowledge and Joseph Smith's evolving view of God's knowledge. We discuss James E. Talmage's view of God knowing our character so well that he can know the future and problems with that.
Topics Discussed: • Middle Knowledge • Problems of Middle Knowledge • No Grounds Objection • Counterfactuals of Freedom Are Probable Only • The "Agents Are Not Free" Objection • Mormonism and Middle Knowledge
We start discussing different models for God's knowledge. We focus on the aspect of God's knowledge of the future or infallible foreknowledge and if it can coexist with free will.
Topics Discussed: • Simple Foreknowledge • Timeless Knowledge Through Perception • The Einstein-Minkowski Spacetime • Timeless Knowledge Through Divine Causation
We go over various theories of God's power and then come to a definition that seems to fit. We then address problems with that view and see if they can be overcome while keeping the definition intact.
Topics Discussed: • Logical Limitations on God's Power • Limitations on God's Power Arising from Divine Attributes • Limitations on God's Power Imposed by Significant Human Freedom • Past Necessity and God's Power • Problems for Omnipotence • Persuasive and Coercive Power • God's Power and Natural Laws • God's Power and Creation
Continuing our survey of Mormon systematic Theologies we discuss the thought of the Pratts, John A. Widtsoe, B.H. Roberts, and Modern Mormon leaders. We talk about why they portrayed things as they did and what some strengths and weaknesses of each view are.
Pratt's 'The Seer': https://archive.org/details/seereditedbyorso01unse
Widtsoe's 'A Rational Theology': https://archive.org/details/rationaltheologywidtsoe
B.H. Roberts' 'The Seventy's Course in Theology': https://archive.org/details/seventyscoursein00robe
We discuss The Lectures on Faith and Joseph Smith's evolving revelations on the nature of God, man, the universe, and how they relate to each other. We get into discussing different interpretations of the King Follett Discourse and The Sermon in the Grove.
The Lectures on Faith can be found here: http://lecturesonfaith.com/
King Follett Discourse:
https://www.lds.org/ensign/1971/04/the-king-follett-sermon?lang=eng
https://www.lds.org/ensign/1971/05/the-king-follett-sermon?lang=eng
Sermon in the Grove: http://emp.byui.edu/jexj/courses/sermon_in_the_grove.htm
Topics Discussed: The Lectures on Faith Joseph Smith and the Foundational Scriptures
We discuss Process Thought/Theology, developed by Alfred N. Whitehead and Charles Hartshorne, and juxtapose it with the previously discussed Thomist/Classical Theism view. We also examine the striking similarities between Process Thought and Joseph Smith's revelations.
Topics Discussed: Relative Perfection Perfect Relatedness Potentiality Proportional Dependence Complexity Temporality Mutability and Immutability Passibility Creator By Organizing Maximal Persuasive Power Maximal Knowledge
For show notes go to: http://www.exploringmormonthought.com/2017/05/in-this-episode-we-discuss-process.html
We discuss how concepts of perfection from Platonism/Neo-Platonism heavily influenced early Christian thought on God's attributes. We then discuss the Absolutist system developed largely by Augustine and articulated by Thomas Aquinas. We bring up issues with the 'God' that arises when you follow this system to its logical conclusions.
Topics discussed: Confluence of Greek Philosophy and Christian Theology Emergence of the Absolutist Tradition in Christian Theology The Logic of Absolute Independence Pure Actuality Divine Simplicity Immutability Timeless Eternity Aseity Impassibility Omniscience Omnipotence
Part 2 of the First chapter in The Attributes of God.
We go over the following topics: Subordinate "Gods" Apotheosis: Human Gods “God” as a Relationship of Unity Among a Plurality of Persons God and Perfection God and Possible Worlds
My father Blake Ostler is a well-known Mormon Theologian and Scholar (In a addition to being a full-time attorney ) Over the years he has written several articles for scholarly Mormon publications such as Dialogue, FARMS, Sunstone Mag, Element, and others.
What I want to do is take the complex issues in these books and discuss them in a way that makes sense to the average listener. So this is sort of going to be like taking me to school on a lot of these issues and topics.
For the most part we will go chapter by chapter of each book starting with the first one: The Attributes of God
However I wanted to start off with an episode of getting to know Blake Ostler. His background, journey and motivations for writing these books and so forth.
Part 1 of the First chapter in The Attributes of God.
We go over the following topics: The Meaning of "God" In Mormon Discourse Attribute and Essence Is "God" a Title or a Name? God and Monotheism The Divine Thou